


My Little Sea Star

by Lhugy_for_short



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, Iggy loves a fish (man), M/M, Shipwrecked!Ignis, Siren!Prompto, Slow Build, siren au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 05:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12358635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lhugy_for_short/pseuds/Lhugy_for_short
Summary: It wasn't often Prompto came to watch the ships pass by in the night. Something had drawn him, called to him, louder even than the call of the sea.A man, but one who yet believes his existence to be mere myth.





	1. Truth in the Legends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Deniera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deniera/gifts).



> For the FFXV Chocobros Gift Exchange 2017!

_ Every man, woman and child in Eos knew the tales of the sirens. To most, the stories were simply warnings, reminders that for all its beauty the sea was a harsh and treacherous mistress. That it was filled with adventure, yet also with death.  _

_ To others, however, the tales of the sirens were all too real. Some of those who had sailed across the seven seas had returned to Insomnia speaking of songs in the night. Haunting songs, the kind that drifted across the water and caressed their ears, much like the call of a lover. Some even claimed to have seen the creatures: half human, half fish, with faces as pale as the brightest moon, and eyes that glowed like jewels in the depths. They said that fools who got too close, who leaned over the boat in hopes of hearing more of the beautiful, deadly song, were dragged down and never seen again. _

_ No one, of course, could prove that their tales were anything more than the drunken ramblings of sailors. And so the legend of the sirens remained mere legend, cautioning those who would venture out to sea against the allure of the unknown. For even the bravest of souls could fall prey to curiosity, doomed by their own weak hearts.  _

 

It wasn’t often he came to watch the ships. He’d never had interest in such things, distant and lifeless as they tended to be. No, Prompto much preferred to stay below the surface, where it was vibrant and teeming with energy. While the others sat upon their rocks and gazed out at the great vessels moving along the horizon, he could usually be found further from shore, chasing the moonlight along the crests of the waves over head. What use had he of the world of men, with their nets and their spears, when the life of the sea was all around him? 

Or so he had always believed. What exactly had changed in him he couldn’t say, but he knew it had begun with one ship in particular. Or rather, one  _ someone _ on that ship. 

He was there again on the night that Prompto risked swimming out from the bay. Perched on the railing of the clipper, gazing out at the moonlit expanse of sea, his elegant figure was hard to miss even from afar. He had hair the color of aged driftwood, and eyes that reminded Prompto of fish scales reflecting iridescence in the light. Everything about him, in fact, reminded Prompto of the sea - which is perhaps why he found himself so curious about the unusual human in the first place. Nothing about him was like the stories he'd heard. This man carried neither weapon nor malice for the creatures of the ocean. 

This human was different. 

And so Prompto watched him, his bright, blue orbs peering up at the ship before him from just above the surface of the water. It wasn't safe, he was far too close to these men and their world of metal. Yet he was loathe to pull away. 

His human hadn't noticed him, of course, although his gaze was oddly fixed on the place where Prompto’s tail swished lazily behind him. Not curious, merely....entranced. By what, the siren couldn’t say, but it left the man with a dreamy expression on his face; one which Prompto felt made him even more beautiful than usual. A silent sigh escaped his lips in the water, spreading a series of bubbles to the surface that popped more loudly than he would have liked.

Bright, green eyes flashed in his direction. “Someone there?” came the man’s voice, smooth, calm, and yet somehow harsh to Prompto’s ears. He panicked. Took in one last look at his beautiful human leaning out over the railing of the ship, and then dove down into the dark depths of the sea. 

 

Silence fell. Ignis strained his eyes in the dim light of the moon, scanning the water closely. He could have sworn he’d seen something - a fish, perhaps, although larger, paler. A dolphin? Those were rare in these parts during the autumn months, he knew, but if it had been alone….

“Everything alright, sir?” Behind him, a young man strode across the deck. He carried a lantern by his face, which was streaked with stubborn dirt and grime, yet his eyes were alight with energy. “You called out.”

Ignis let his shoulders drop as he pulled back from the railing. “I’m fine, Talcott. Just thought I saw something moving, is all.” 

“Lots of things moving in the ocean, sir,” the young man retorted with a smirk. “You should know that better than any of us.”

If Ignis weren’t so tired, if they hadn’t left Insomnia so damnably late and if he didn’t still have hours of paperwork to complete before reaching Tenebrae, he might have returned the smile. As it was, he released a breath and strode away from the railing to pat the young boatswain on the head. “Right you are. Or perhaps it was simply the moon playing tricks on me.” As he turned toward the officers’ quarters, he cast one last look back at Talcott, lips curving ever so slightly at the edges. “If it isn’t too much trouble, could you fetch me some wine? I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night.”

 

The trade negotiations went well. More than the abrasive captain or his even less likable first mate, it was Ignis who guided the proceedings into favorable territory. Hailing from Tenebrae himself, it was easy to understand the customs, the subtleties of dealing with noblemen, and even the proper way to hold a fork at dinner (manners were very important to the Nox Fleuret family, and had Captain Drautos been left in charge they would have all been executed for their barbarisms). Yet the talks had been long, and draining, and by the time they returned to the ship significantly richer, all Ignis wanted was a bath and a drink. 

That, perhaps, was his first mistake. Had he remained on deck longer, he might have heard the rumors of a storm brewing out at sea. He might have been able to reason with Drautos, who insisted that their ship could outrun even the darkest clouds. He might have saved them all before it was too late to turn back, and before the Fates doomed them to a watery grave. 

 

Black clouds swirled as the storm raged all around them. It churned up the sea and cast the clipper into a perilous arching of wave after wave after wave. Amidst the darkness, lightning crashed, illuminated the scene in terrifyingly stark contrast, and boomed loud enough to tremor the wood below their very feet. 

And over it all, the constant, haunting sound of voices singing. 

Singing. 

Singing….

“The sail! Pull ‘er down!” The order was barked across the deck, louder even than the howling of the wind or the lashing of rain against the side of the ship. Talcott, closest to the post, was the first to jump into action. The clipper lurched, waves crashed violently over the railing, but he was a sure-footed as they came. Ignis watched with his heart in his throat and through sheets of rain as the young boatswain scaled the mast, cut free the ropes holding the sail into the wind, and began to climb back down. Until...

One rope, traitorous and thick, whipped through the air and caught the young man in the back of the head.

In a horrifying instant, he fell to the deck, hit the rail with a sickening  _ crack _ , and disappeared overboard to be swallowed up in dark waves. 

“ _ Talcott!!” _ His own safety was secondary. Ignoring the shouts of the men around him Ignis rushed forward, slipped and scrambled across the deck until he reached the place where the young man had fallen. There were only waves - high, powerful waves that slammed into the ship and blew foam and spray into his eyes. The strange song grew louder, chilled his very bones. Still he clung to the rail, searched the water for any signs of life, of his friend. 

“Scientia, get back! We can’t afford to lose you, too!” 

_ There! _ A flash of white, a desperate movement amidst the waves, and a shimmer of hope. Before Ignis was even sure what he was doing he threw himself off the edge of the ship and into the sea. 

 

Chaos. Swirling lights and roaring currents. He couldn’t tell which way was up, which way was down. He couldn’t even swim, not when the sea was so determined to spin him head over heel and drag him further into darkness. And then, out of nowhere, something brushed his hip. 

Ignis couldn’t see what it was. Only a shadow, something vaguely fish-like but far larger, darted through his field of vision and disappeared again. In his panic, he believe it to be a shark, attracted by the tempting peril of the men above. He let out choked cry - _was this the end?_ _Was this how he met his death?_ But if the thing truly was a shark, it never attacked. 

Instead, as his lungs began to burn and his vision darkened at the edges, it seemed to draw closer to him. Cautiously, carefully. Ignis thought he could see a pair of haunting blue eyes staring at him through the churning water. 

And then he knew nothing more.


	2. Hope is Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis wakes up on a strange beach, surrounded by even stranger circumstances.

The sun was bearing down on him, an unrelenting heat that coaxed him at last back to the world of the living. His head ached, his limbs felt like they had been turned to lead, and for a moment Ignis wondered if he was even alive at all. 

Then he opened his eyes. 

He appeared to be on a beach. It wasn’t large, but it was beautiful - white sand surrounded by a circle of dense trees, lapped at its shore by sapphire-blue water as calm as it was sparkling. All around him was quiet, no signs of civilization or the bustle of the city streets. Paradise, he thought, if it wasn’t for his throbbing skull. What in Eos had happened to him? 

Memories came to him in fragments as he slowly crawled his way further inland. A ship -  _ the Kingsglaive _ \- and the brightly-lit halls of the palace of Tenebrae. Then voices. Eerie, haunting. And darkness - was it a storm or something else? - followed by intense fear. Ignis’ heart lurched for a moment as he recalled the sound of Talcott’s body hitting the deck, and then….

No good. He couldn’t remember any more. All he knew was that Drautos’ ship and all his men were in danger, and that his first mission was to find his way back to them. Several more moments as the sun heat up his tired limbs, then at last he was able to push himself to his feet. When he called out, his voice sounded strange, haggard to his ears, but he tried all the same.  _ Captain! Luche! Talcott! _

Only silence. Ignis worked his way around the curve of the beach. In the sand, his bare feet slipped and slid, and several times his lost his balance to go crashing into the surf. Again he stood. Again he resumed the search. 

It wasn’t until he reached the rocks at the far end of the beach that he saw it, though. The  _ Kingsglaive _ , the hull smashed to pieces where it had collided with the sandbar; the masts snapped and broken, tangled up in tattered sails; aft-end half sunk into the shoals while the prow surged up in a hollow scream. 

Ignis felt sick. Reality crashed over him harder than any wave and left him doubled over atop the rocks as he vomited a mixture of bile and salt water. 

_ The ship was gone. _

_ The crew had likely perished. _

_ He was all alone on this uninhabited island, where no one would ever come to save him.  _

While he wallowed in his shock and self-pity, something moved in the water just below the rocks. A head emerged, yellow hair as bright as the light of the sun, and two deep, sea-blue eyes that watched him with keen interest. For several long moments, Ignis didn’t notice the new arrival. Not until the figure smiled and tossed a small pebble at his head. 

“ _ Ow!  _ Dammit, what in the -- ?!” He froze. There, at the base of the rocks, a beautiful face shrank nearly out of sight. Large blue eyes blinked, and a curtain of yellow hair fell into them as he peered cautiously around the edge. 

_ A member of the crew? _ Ignis didn’t remember ever having seen such a lovely face amongst Drautos’ men, but what other explanation could there be? There were no other people around here, and the young man certainly didn’t appear to be native. Something akin to hope bubbled up in Ignis’ chest, and without thinking he rushed forward at the same time he called out to the stranger. “Hey! You, there! Wait!”

His voice was louder than he’d intended. No sooner had the first syllable flown from his lips than his would-be companion turned to flee. One final glance back - desperate, wild - before blond locks dipped under the water and out of sight. 

Ignis froze. Rubbed his knuckles into his eyes and peered at the glittering surface of the shoals. Either his mind was playing tricks on him, or that man had been dragging behind him...a tail. 

A  _ fish _ tail. 


	3. Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something mysterious left on the shore leads Ignis to the most unexpected encounter of his life.

For the next two days, Prompto watched his human from afar. He found that the man was resourceful, quickly familiarizing himself with the accessible parts of the island. Mostly, that included the beach and the forest along its edge, although Prompto noticed that he (wisely) never strayed too far into the trees. 

It became apparent on the second day that his human was  _ gathering _ something. From his position hidden behind a rocky crag offshore, Prompto watched him, studied him. Discovered that with every trip back into the dense trees he returned with a variety of sticks, branches, and coiling green vines. These he would set out on the sandy beach in some strange pattern or other - who knew what made sense to humans? - then eventually return to the forest for more. 

It was hard simply watching. Prompto longed to get closer, was even willing risk another encounter if it meant he could sate his curiosity. He took another long look as his beautiful human, followed the movements with his eyes as a powerful hand wiped sweat from his brow. And the siren’s heart ached. 

At the very least, he wanted to do something to help. 

Suddenly, an idea grabbed him. Perhaps there  _ was _ something he could offer, after all. Excited, Prompto shoved himself off the rocks and dove deep into cool, crystalline waters.

 

Labor was slowed by the intensity of the sun. Ignis longed to get off this infernal rock, if for no other reason than to escape the damnable heat that surrounded him at all hours of the day. It was a constant, like the harsh salt air that chapped his lips, or the thirst that parched his tongue. He might have considered the island a scientific paradise under other circumstances. But as it was, he could only feel miserable for himself - and used that misery to drive his work. 

Yet by mid-afternoon, Ignis was at last overcome by exhaustion. Sweat soaked every fiber of his clothing, matted his hair to his forehead and caked on his arms and face. Dirt, too, crusted under his nails and the bottoms of his feet, made him feel like a wild creature and not the son of a nobleman that he was. And so, having completed only a meager portion of the raft he intended to build, Ignis decided that it was high time for a bath. 

The sun sank another few inches toward the horizon as he got to his feet and peeled off cotton garments one by one. First his shirt, no longer white but an ugly yellow-brown color, which he tossed into the sparse grass next to his feet. Next, his pants, and then his knickers, until he stood completely naked under the stark light of day. 

In some ways it was liberating, knowing that there were no others around to watch or to shame him. He stepped confidently down the length of the beach until he reached the line of waves lapping gently at the shore. There, the water seemed to gather around his feet, kissed the tips of his toes as if welcoming his presence. And he smiled. 

The sea has always felt like home to him. More so in many ways than his own bedroom growing up in a manor in Tenebrae, or the halls of Citadel of Insomnia, where he served as a researcher and tutor for the young prince. While he cherished his upbringing and his elevated position, the walls of manors and palaces had always felt too much like a cage. That was why, of course, he’d volunteered to join the trade negotiations under Captain Drautos - to be on the open waters again, to smell the air of freedom and stare into the depths of the ocean’s abyss; it had seemed a dream come true for the short time it had lasted. 

Now, wading out until the water reached his thighs, Ignis recalled that fondness he had always held for the sea. He found it surprisingly easy. All around his legs, an entire world had come to life just beneath the surface - fish, all colors of the rainbow, darted past his ankles; sea stars the size of saucers littered the sandy floor; all manner of crabs, minnows, and shells moved around him as if he weren’t an invader, but part of their home. 

Without realizing it, Ignis was laughing. Despite his situation, despite being lost at sea and stranded on a gods-forsaken rock, he was  _ laughing _ . A sense of irony, perhaps, or merely brain damage from the sun, he couldn’t guess. But he did know that it made him feel lighter, and cast a small sliver of hope back into his weary bones. 

Ignis bathed quickly. The salt water did little for his poor hair, but it was enough to clean the dirt and sweat from his skin. By the time he’d finished, he felt almost a new man.

Turning back to shore, however, something near his feet caught his eye. He bent down, scooped the shell into his hands, and brought it gently out of the water.  _ Lobatus gigas _ , he recited aloud. “The Queen Conch.” A beautiful specimen, to be sure, fully intact and glistening a brilliant pearl-white in the sun. The shell was empty - its inhabitant had likely outgrown its home and moved on to another by now - and it seemed a waste to toss such a treasure away. Should he escape this island and make it safely back to Insomnia, perhaps the young prince might like it as a gift. 

Carrying the shell tucked under his left arm, Ignis waded his way back to the beach.

Only to find that something - or some _ one _ \- had been busy leaving gifts for him as well. An array of shells and glittering pieces of sea glass lined a path along the sand. Small pieces, large pieces, rare and unusual ones that Ignis had only ever seen in textbooks - Wentlewraps and cat eye shells, a full nautilus and bits of white coral; pearls, sand dollars, abalone, and even a giant clam waited to greet him as he stepped, shakily, out of the water.

Ignis’ heart was racing. The arrangement of shells was as beautiful as it was strange. More than anything, it told him that he was no longer alone on the island. Suddenly and acutely aware of his nakedness, he rushed past the mysterious collection to where he had set his clothing out to dry. 

 

Prompto’s excitement was palpable. From just offshore, head barely visible above the incoming tide, he could see his human admiring his gifts. The shells in particular, which hadn’t been easy to acquire even for him, would undoubtedly make a much more beautiful collection than the sticks and branches from the woods. If nothing else, he hoped to catch the man smiling, soft and true like he once had aboard his ship. 

But then the man was moving. Prompto swished his tail behind him, startled by the way his human was suddenly dashing across the beach, leaving behind the treasures he’d worked so hard to collect. The siren’s first instinct was to follow after him, to cry and beg him not to be afraid - but before he could raise himself more than a half-head out of the water, his human froze. 

He was standing with his dark-colored, tattered garments pulled up to his hips (Prompto had honestly preferred him without the coverings, he was more beautiful naked) and staring out at the sea with wide eyes. 

Directly at the head of blond hair that hovered above the waves. At the same beautiful, ethereal face from what had seemed a dream. 

Prompto’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp. 


	4. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis isn't quite sure what to think of his new, not-quite-human companion. Luckily for the both of them, Prompto is a very likable siren.

The moment his human caught sight of him, he called out across the distance. Once again, the sound was jarring to Prompto’s ears. His words, so harsh and loud, were a stark reminder that he was, after all, from the world of men and thus spoke like one. Still, this time, Prompto refused to flee. 

Though his voice was strange, there was only wonder written on his face as the man approached. Slowly, one foot in front of the other across the sand, a single hand held disarmingly out in front of him. Closer and closer until Prompto could make out the tiny, dark dots flecking his sunburnt skin, and the beads of salt water still clinging to his hair. The sight was enough to keep him rooted in place, with his tail stiff and unmoving atop the shoals.

More sounds came tumbling from his human’s lips. Somehow, Prompto thought they were softer than before, almost beautiful in their lilting rhythm. And though he couldn’t understand their meaning, he could read the emotions on the other’s face - trepidation, excitement,  _ hope _ . Prompto swallowed back his own fear and propelled himself a few yards nearer to the beach. Nearer still, until his human’s hand began reaching out, a bridge from the land to the sea, and Prompto could no longer resist.

Human skin was warm. This was the first thing the siren noticed when their fingers met in the space between them. Warm, and soft. Surprisingly soft. He instantly wanted more. Sea-blue eyes grew wide, wide, impossibly wider as he leaned into the touch, twined his fingers with the man’s and marveled at the way they locked together so perfectly. Tugged his wrist closer and stroked his other hand along the length of his bare arm. 

_ Perfect. _

 

Ignis’ breath had long since caught somewhere deep in his chest. The hands grasping him were cool and wet, but surprisingly the sensation wasn’t as unpleasant as he might have thought. Delicate fingers played over his skin, and that beautiful face was practically glowing with awe at the contact.

Sea-blue eyes and hair the color of the brightest sun. Light freckles dusting pale cheeks like the kiss of the stars above the waves. There was no mistaking it - this was the same man Ignis had seen his first day on the island.

But...was he really a man? Even now, Ignis could see the dark shadow of the tail moving languidly under the water. It was thick, long, not unlike the caudal of a shark, but with fan-like fins floating in the shallow current as if made of silk. Half fish, then, were such fairy-tale creatures possible. Or worse. If the stories told back at the docks of Insomnia were more than just legend….

The beautiful fish-man opened his mouth in a smile, revealing rows of sharp, blade-like teeth than nearly had Ignis snapping his hand back out of shock. 

But then he made a gesture, pointing with one long, seaweed-green fingernail to the beach behind them.  _ No, _ Ignis thought.  _ To the seashells. _ He managed a cautious smile. “Were you the one who brought me those?” he asked. 

The fish-man merely cocked his head. 

Ignis bit his tongue and tried again. “The shells. On the beach. From you?” This time, he added a gesture with his hand not still in the other’s grasp, and at last received an enthusiastic nod in reply. The brunette sighed. “Well, I suppose that’s a relief. Erm, thank you. They’re beautiful.”

Sea-blue eyes seemed to draw him in. 

“I-I’m Ignis.  _ Ig-nis _ .” Slowly, not wanting to startle the creature, he drew their hands together up to his chest. Pressed delicate fingers to his bare skin and repeated his name once more for good measure. 

A barely-audible sigh escaped pink lips. He followed this with a sort of hissing sound, one which could almost be considered an attempt to copy the sound of Ignis’ voice, but which fell laughably short. Smiling now, Ignis released his hand. “That’s okay. I suppose fish simply don’t communicate the way we do. Pity, though.” He kneeled down into the shallow waves to bring their faces closer together. “How will I ever learn your name if you can’t speak?” 

_ Make one _ , he caught himself thinking. What an absurd idea. He couldn’t even be sure this creature wasn’t some sort of hallucination and yet here he was trying to befriend it! 

Him.

It? 

Before he could berate himself further for wasting time on hypothetical questions, his stomach let out an impressive series of growls, gurgles and moans. He froze. The fish-man froze. 

Then sharp teeth were flashed once more in a dangerously beautiful smile, and the creature was whirling around to dive head-first into the surf. 


	5. Dinner for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having befriended the beautiful siren, Ignis is now ready to skip right to a romantic date under the stars.

The sun was well on its way to setting by the time Prompto returned to the beach. He could make out the figure of his human - of  _ Egg Nys _ \- further up near the trees, once again hard at work with his twigs and vines. Prompto swam closer to the sand, beat his tail twice against the water until he’d managed to catch the man’s attention. And felt his heart beat faster when green pools turned to focus on him. Ignis stood and started for the beach.

Prompto didn’t wait for him. This time, he swam right up to the sandy coast and kept going, pushing himself right out of the water. He used his arms to shuffle himself forward, and swished his heavy, blue-and-green tail to keep the momentum. The sight of it seemed to momentarily startle his human, who had stopped walking and merely stood gaping as Prompto crawled toward him. But by they time they reached one another, he had pushed his shock to the back of his mind and was once again kneeling down to meet Prompto’s smile with his own. 

“Welcome back, my little sea star,” he said, and reached out to brush his fingers over the freckles on Prompto’s cheek. “I was beginning to miss you.” 

 A soft hum in response, and that beautiful face pressed closer against the warmth of his palm. But only for a moment. Prompto caught himself, pulled away with an excited clacking of teeth, and lifted what appeared to be a large lump of seaweed fashioned into a net from over his shoulders. 

It hit the ground with a  _ slurp _ . At Ignis’ feet, an entire catch of fresh fish, some even still moving about, spilled out of the net to glisten in the dim light. He nearly let out a shriek when one of them flopped right into his toes, cold, wet, and gasping. 

Across from him, Prompto positively beamed. 

_ Ah. Dinner. The fish-man had brought him dinner. _

Ignis’ stomach growled again. 

Several moments passed before either of them moved. The sound of flubbering fish filled the space between them until at last Prompto, thinking his human was merely incompetent, picked up one of the fish and proceeded to show him how to eat. 

“Ah! E-enough, enough, I get it.” Ignis let out a weak laugh, broken only by a half-choked sound when Prompto pulled the stringy bits of raw fish flesh from his lips. The sight was harrowing, and yet, somehow, he still managed to be the most attractive creature Ignis had ever laid eyes on. Hand still hovering near his face, he reached forward to brush a curtain of yellow hair from those beautiful eyes, and smiled. 

“Shall we have dinner for two tonight?”

 

Prompto was mesmerized by the sight of the fire. Even before Ignis had finished building it, he had crept closer, pillowed his head on his arms and simply watched him work. The flame grew, kindled by the branches and leaves that his human added from his collection. More and more, until the pile had shrunk by almost half, and the fire was a roaring sun all its own. 

The fish, however, were another matter. Prompto was horrified when Ignis skewered three onto a long stick and hung it over the fire to, in his words, “ _ kook _ .” Didn’t humans know anything about food? But his attempts to snatch them back were batted away, and in the end he could only settle onto the sand again and mope. 

That, too, didn’t last long. Ignis began to speak, quietly at first, but then in a rich, lilting voice that painted pictures of faraway lands, magic, monsters, and romance. Stories of a different world, and though the words were foreign his voice was musical enough to tell the tales. Prompto listened, entranced, as Ignis spoke and the moon slowly rose above them both. He could have listened forever to that voice, low and lilting and lovely. When the fish were done  _ kooking _ and Ignis stopped mid-tale, Prompto almost wailed with the grief of it. 

Given Ignis’ situation, he took more care with his meal than was perhaps required. Laying one of the fish out on a large leaf in his lap, he took his time picking away the harder scales and the thin bones within. Difficult without a knife, to be sure, but he salvaged as much of the meat as he possibly could. And  _ heavens above _ it was divine! Fresh fish, fresher even than could be found at the docks of Insomnia, and juicer, too. His stomach growled in appreciation as he took another bite, then another, and another. 

Not stopping until he noticed a gentle hand on his knee, and looked up over the remains of his meal to see his beautiful little sea star staring back at him. 

Intensely.

Ignis swallowed. “Would you…like to try?” He motioned with the fish still in his hand, and deep blue eyes flickered toward it. He started to reach out as if to take a piece for himself, but another idea had Ignis suddenly drawing it away. “It’s hot,” he said, not exactly lying. “You’d better not touch. Here, allow me.”

His throat was oddly dry as he pinched a piece of the meat between his fingers and tore it off. His heart, too, was pounding as he slowly held it out, not toward the beautiful creature’s hand but toward his mouth. He was crazy, he had to be - those teeth alone were enough to ward a wiser man off - yet he persisted. For...science, he told himself. 

But the moment those pink lips parted and Ignis’ fingers were drawn into that damp cavern of a mouth, all semblance of propriety fled him. Something about his beauty, his haunting, impossibly blue eyes, had entrapped Ignis the moment he’d first caught sight of him. He knew now, without a doubt, that his little sea star was a siren - the very same monsters from the stories he’d heard back home - but perhaps not as dangerous as the legends told. After all, from what Ignis had observed, this one seemed unable to vocalize. 

The singing he’d heard the night of the storm -- !

He'd jumped overboard and then.... Then the strange figure in the water that he had mistaken for a shark.  _It was him_.

All at once, his chest tightened with emotion, left him breathless and unable to look away from the face of the being that had saved his life. 

Then Prompto coughed. Sputtered. Rolled back into the sand and scraped furiously at his tongue with his fingers in an attempt to get the horrible taste out of his mouth. A whine, more air than voice, emphasized his disgust, and Ignis found himself bursting into laughter despite himself. 

“That bad, hm?” he smiled, grabbing one of the raw fish from the net and handing it to Prompto instead. “Guess I can’t impress  _ everyone _ with my cooking skills.”

 

That night, Ignis fell asleep on the beach next to the smoldering warmth of the fire. The moon was beginning to descend, and with it the tides were leaving the shores. 

Prompto frowned. He reached out to brush his fingers through his human’s hair much the same way Ignis had done to him earlier, sighed at the perfect vision. He didn’t want to have to go. He wanted to stay, forever if he could. But the water called to him, urged him back to its protective depths - already he had been out for too long. 

Slowly, reluctantly, Prompto shifted away from his human. The warmth faded the closer he got to the waves, and he felt the tell-tale prickle of tears start to sting behind his eyes. Not fair, not fair. There had to be some way…. 

The waves lapped at his tail and he felt the relief of the water spread through him. Even still, his heart ached. Then, determined, he tore his gaze from his human’s sleeping form and threw himself into the sea. 

Down, down. Swimming as fast as he could into the darkest depths. Past schools of fish which scattered out of his way, and startling even the sharks from their pen. Down, down, through the ghostly hulls of the countless ships sunk by his brethren, until at last he reached the shadowy crest of sand at sea bed. 

There, growing up into the distant rays of moonlight, were long tendrils of the kelp he sought. Thick, dark brown, and with ribbon-like leaves that coiled around his fingers as he stroked them. Perfect. They would do. 

Four stalks, twined around his tail and flowing behind him, Prompto carried with him back to shore. And in the late hour of night, he set to work wrapping every inch of himself in the scent and texture of the sea. Making certain to pay close attention to his tail before, at long last, settling down to sleep pressed close against the body of his beloved human. 

 

(When Ignis awoke the next morning, his heart lurched out of his chest at the sight that greeted him - for sirens, like fish, sleep with their eyes and mouths wide open <3) 


End file.
